The International Olympic Committee’s executive board might as well change “higher, faster, stronger” to “highest television ratings, fastest way to make a buck, strongest product to sell.”

The IOC’s decision to eliminate wrestling in the Summer Olympics in 2020 spells the death knell of the true meaning of the Games. Why not go all the way and practise truth in the advertising that has become so precious to you? Let everyone know what the true Olympic spirit is all about in this era . . . money, money, money, ratings, ratings, ratings.

In a stunning development Tuesday, the IOC announced that wrestling has been dropped from the 2020 Olympics. The only chance it has to survive comes when the IOC meets in Buenos Aires in September and a decision is made about what additional sport will be included in the 2020 Games.

Wrestling has been in every Games since their inception except for 1900 in Paris. At the 2012 Olympics, it featured 344 athletes in 11 medal events.

The decision to drop the sport was made after a review by the IOC’s program commission, which looked at each sport and judged it on TV ratings, ticket sales, anti-doping and global popularity.

It’s really just about money and television ratings. If the IOC looked at anti-doping issues, there’d be four sports in the Games. Wrestling has world-wide popularity, with virtually every Olympic country participating in the sport.

Canada has won at least one medal in every Olympics since 1996. But this should never be about medals. It should be about what the Olympics were and where they are going.

It’s disgusting that the Olympics has become about television and ticket sales.

Does anyone truly believe that sport comes first with the businessmen running the IOC?

That notion is dispelled immediately when you watch women’s beach volleyball. Up until 2012, women were mandated to wear bikinis.

That draws ratings.

“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”

That is the Olympic Creed.

There is no sport that fits that creed better than wrestling, a sport that demands individual excellence and determination, a sport that is inclusive, a sport that fits the Olympic creed and motto.

Londoner Ray Takahashi is a two-time Olympian.

His son Steven will likely be an Olympian in 2016 and at 28, would have been in his prime for the 2020 Games.

Both were stunned at the announcement.

“I thought wrestling was a strong, safe sport,” Ray said. “It was part of the ancient Olympics. It’s very international. It’s kind of basic sport. It’s like running. I feel so sorry for all the boys and girls who have dreams of going to the Olympics.”

Steven was almost speechless trying to explain his feelings. He’s a 20-year-old in his third year at Western and getting to the top of a sport like wrestling places extraordinary physical and mental demands on an athlete.

“It’s a shock. I almost can’t believe it right now,” Steven said. “I honestly had no idea. This came as such a surprise. I know it hasn’t been getting the best reviews at the Olympics. But I can’t believe they are thinking of not having it.”

Takahashi is focusing on the Olympics in Rio de Janiero but knowing what may happen in 2020 is like having the wind knocked out of you.

“The ultimate goal is to make the Olympics and Rio is on my mind,” he said. “I take a little step at a time but having something like this happen, it’s hard to take.”

There aren’t many sports contested around the world like wrestling.

“There’s a lot about the control, the one-on-one, the respect between opponents, the fitness factor, it caters to different size, weights, men and women do it. I just don’t understand,” said Ray Takahashi.

In describing the sport he describes what the Olympics should be all about.

Before making a final decision, the IOC might want to put down their remote controls, step away from their television sets and do some reading other than their bank statements and bottom line.

Try reading the Olympic creed and motto. The betting is you haven’t read it in a while.